Robert Slippey
Just in time for your Thanksgiving day celebration, here are some tips for capturing family and friends this holiday season.
Even before I became a photographer I was always annoyed by the "stand here, looks this way, smile" type of photographers. Posed moments are great sometimes but can be boring. What is much more interesting are photos that show your family gathered around the table, a giant turkey in the middle, or a 2 year old covered in cranberry sauce!
We recently did a series on the 3 settings that make up exposure. If you forgot, they are: shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. This time of a year is usually full of family photos taken indoors. This means one thing to a photographer: Low light! I would remind everyone to keep your shutter speed up to avoid the blur and if you have to raise the ISO. A slightly grainy image is much better than a blurry one!
Avoid using direct flash. The little popup flash or your speedlite can help light an image but don't point it directly at your subject. Direct flash is what gives you that flat snapshot look. Instead point that flash up to the ceiling so it bounces around the room. Your subject's face will look much better!
I constantly hear how photography is about telling a story. As much as I try, I don't think I'm very good at the story telling part, but that doesn't mean you should skip the details. This thanksgiving be sure to get a shot of that turkey, the sides, and of course the pies!
Not every photo needs to be from high above. This is especially true with kids, pets, and the details we just discussed. Get down low with the kids and the pets and try different angles with the detail shots. You'll be surprised at just how much a small change will effect the outcome.
Bring extra batteries, memory cards, flash batteries!
I have this love, hate relationship with photography. I love my photos, but I can't stand looking at them on a screen. Even a 4x6 print is better than on a screen! Share your photos with family and friends.
This year I've decided to break out my Canon Selphy (which I used a few years ago for a friend's wedding photo booth). This year I'm taking it on the road and printing pictures as I go!
We can't print everything (Even if I wish I could)
Share your photos online!
Are just a few photo sharing sites!
